VALOR Anyone??? 04/10/11 Western Caribbean Review

[magic&buddy]

OMG! Thanks so much for this review. I love details and the pictures are great. We sail the Valor in October and I just can't get enough reviews :D.

[MrsBlair]

Hey Jessica! I love your reviews! Read your review on our last Miracle cruise when we got back. Looking forward to the rest of it. Did Mike and Lori not go on this cruise with y'all? I've never been on the Valor. Can you compare it to the Miracle? I see you're going on the Splendor next year. I'm going on it in 6 days! Flying out to CA and cruising with my folks. Looking forward to the rest of your review. Hope to see you all on another cruise in the future.

 

Chrissy! Hey! No, Mike and Lori did not come because Shannon (their daughter) is getting married in June!!!! They're all going on a cruise right after. :)

 

They're different class ships so they're really different. I like each of them for their own special qualities. I like the aft lido area on the Miracle, but I also like the tiered decks on the Valor. The Miracle is a bit easier to navigate as the Valor has the two dining rooms that split decks 3 and 4.

 

Have a blast on the Splendor! Tell me all about it when you get back!

[MrsBlair]

Thanks for posting this review! DH and I will be on the Valor in 6 days with what should be the same itinerary so this review is coming at the perfect time! :)

 

Yay! How exciting! I will try and have it finished by week's end for you. :p

[MrsBlair]

OMG! Thanks so much for this review. I love details and the pictures are great. We sail the Valor in October and I just can't get enough reviews :D.

 

You'll have the best time! Enjoy!

[MrsBlair]

APRIL 11, 2011 – SEA DAY

 

I think we woke up around 11:00. Steve and Sheri always wake up around 7:00 on sea days and head to the lido deck. Paul and I usually just roam the ship on sea days but when I woke up today and went on the balcony I noticed that it wasn’t outrageously hot and I kind of felt like laying out. So, we put on our gear and headed for lido. Chair hogs were out in full force. We couldn’t find any chairs near Steve and Sheri so we went to Deck 12 or 13.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[magic&buddy]

Can't wait for more so I can relive our cruise with you :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I am reading your review with great excitement and I see the picture of your friends -Steve and Sherri - and I keep going back to the picture trying to figure out why they are so familiar. I see the post from them - Workin2cruise - and realize that Steve and Sherri were our tablemates when we were on the Victory in November 2007. And I knew for sure when I saw the food pictures and saw the assorted cheeses.....I remember Sherri use to order this for dessert. What a small world cruising can be!

 

Hi to Steve and Sherri from Heather & Ron (magic&buddy) in Toronto.

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

I think that was basically it – laying out on lido, roaming the ship and then showering and sports bar before dinner. Here are the dinner pics:

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

We saw this on our way out of the dining room. I had to laugh. Typos on Carnival documents!!!

 

[dodger501]

In its upcoming refit. That looked nice!

[MrsBlair]

We learned that the Valor is a pilot ship for Carnival. Whenever Carnival wants to test out something new, they try it on the Valor. Hence the pool tables. We learned that night in the sports bar that they are also testing pitchers of draft beer (there was also pitchers of margaritas on lido). The international beer is Heineken and the domestic beer is Bud Light.

 

 

We had quite a busy bed when we got back to the cabin:

 

 

[MrsBlair]

APRIL 12, 2011 – GRAND CAYMAN (7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)

 

Grand Cayman! So last year we did the whole song and dance tour of the island – hell, stringrays, Tortuga, turtle farm, etc. So this year we decided we just wanted to go to the beach. We decided on Royal Palms on 7 Mile Beach. We went down to tender off at about 9:00 I believe and the line was so long! It wrapped all the way down the hall on Deck 1. Luckily, it went by pretty quickly. We tendered off and caught a taxi to the beach for $4 a person. Once we got there, we rented beach chairs and an umbrella for I believe a total of $30 per couple. I also rented a beach float for $5 or $10, I can’t remember. We stayed at the beach for a while and then went up to the restaurant / bar for lunch. Oh! Almost forgot – where we tendered was different from last year. It was about a block or two further up from the old “dock”. There is a new shopping center area that you walk through to get to the taxi / shuttle area. When we got back here, we went in to Tortuga to get a few things. In Grand Cayman, if you buy liquor, they send it to the ship, but there is a cutoff time. What I learned is that the liquor that is sent to the ship is about 70% cheaper than if you buy it after that cutoff time. We were going to buy the 5-flavor rum sampler and if we had bought it earlier it would have been $14. When we tried? $40. I got mad and walked out so we didn’t get our rum. So, note to those of you who want to buy liquor in GC – do it first before you head out on the island.

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

Platinum Canapes:

 

 

Past Guest Party:

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

We went to the Steakhouse tonight. We always like to go on Night 3 as that is our least favorite dining menu. So, here are the MDR menus for tonight and then pictures from the Steakhouse. Our reservation was at 7:00. It was phenomenal, as it always is. Definitely worth the $30 charge.

 

 

 

 

And, Steakhouse pictures:

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsBlair]

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Cake from Room Service:

 

Creme Caramel from Room Service:

[MrsBlair]

I've given it all she's got, Captain! More tomorrow... :p

 

[boaterette]

I enjoyed your last review and am enjoying this one also. Thank you.